Unrest? Really?!?

[redacted]

You could find yourself in a war zone with no US support. Is that worth a dive trip to you?

 

[Scared Silly]

If one could just transit without an over night stay I might well think about continuing with my plans had the coup not happened. But only if I was going somewhere where I would have a good chance still being able to get out of the country through alternate means. Marsa Alam would not be on that list simply because of it's location. Sharm el Sheikh would be as one can travel into Jordan via the ferry (which I have done).

However, at this point given the newest situation I would change my plans. Simply because I go on vacation to relax - last thing I want is to worry about is civil unrest (though there tends to be very little of that along the Red Sea). Egypt will always be there. The goal is to make sure you are. The American kid killed in Alexandria made a really bad choice.

As for a single woman in the Middle East - if you dress appropriately (i.e. conservative as a westerner), not draw attention to yourself, and are firm but polite you typically will not have issues.

 

[beester]

Also interested in this. I'm organizing a trip on a liveaboard (mv tala, a topnotch crew) end of september, flying to and leaving from Hurghada. Should be ok so far, but I'll keep a close watch and if anybody has up to date information from the tourist areas (not big cities like cairo, alexandria, etc). Let me know or post here.

Thanks

 

[tplyons]

I've been following the area somewhat closely myself as I'm scheduled to head out that way in October.

Right now, for October, I'm in the firm camp of only time will tell. My transit through Cairo will be quick.

But I wouldn't go there now. Especially alone. Especially if I were a lone female. But thats just me.

 

[Tortuga68]

Even back when Mubarak ruled with an iron fist, Cairo could be a bit dodgy. Once, while I was locking the hotel room door on our way out, my wife who had gone ahead of me was flashed by some guy in the stairwell, which is the kind of thing that is not unheard of. Back then, if the hotel staff had caught the guy they would have beaten him up. Today, who knows.

I'm really struggling to see the relevance of this anecdote

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm really struggling to see the relevance of this anecdote

Don't struggle too hard. My thinking is that women have always been subject to aggressive male attention in Cairo, and while the odds of it developing into a physical attack used to be very low due to the presence of a thug-like police force, there may be less protection out there these days. If not for the coup, then I wouldn't have brought the anecdote up, figuring that the OP is already well aware of the need for women to be extra alert in Cairo. The travel blogs are full of anecdotes like this, and you're right, it's normally not particularly relevant--just the normal state of affairs that you would expect any traveler to Cairo to be aware of.

 

[Solly]

Mates, so far things are not that gloomy its just unpredictable.... For september/october it will sure be clear however for next week i can't tell how it will go....

 

[Steve A]

We were going to book sharm for September/October but will leave it for now as my wife and daughter were coming. Its a real shame as we were there in March and it was quiet then, so I dread to think what this is going to do for the tourist trade and the diving industry now.

 

[Doubler]

Postpone for at least 6 months an let the Egyptian people get a handle on the situation. The US embassy has extracted all non essentials and families. That should answer your question about going on a dive trip. It is NOT safe.

 

[supergaijin]

A long-term instructor friend in Sharm has told me of a spate of kidnappings on the Cairo-Sharm main highway. Hostages are taken at gunpoint, treated well and are released when the ransom is paid. Some tourists were viewing this as an 'adventure'. So many ways for this 'adventure' to end up a bloody nightmare. It wouldn't take much for some bombs to be let off again in some strategic areas.

The Muslim Brotherhood supporters will be well peeved now and you can bet dollars to doughnuts that there are some within the ranks calling for Jihad- nailbombs and all.

Personally I'd avoid Egypt for the near future.